Refrigerating apparatus for freezing food



Oct. 28, 1952 L. A. DE MORE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR Fagsggmg FOOD g gyms'rsf-sx-mlaw: 1

Filed Sept. 12, 1950 'III'IIII'IIIIIII'I'IIIIIIII Z4 uvmvrm g eaned @fle ffo M W I Oct. 28, 1952 A. DE MORE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS FOR FREEZING FOOD 2 Sl-IEETS-SI-IEET 2 Filed Sept. 12, 1950 INVENTOR. LeoneZ @fle [Var g Patented Oct. 28, 1952 FI tEEZING' roon Leone]; A. De More, Clearwaterglilm Applicationseptemher 12, 1950;;Seria'l' N o'. 18 L373 My. invention relates. to the freezing; of, foodstuflfs', particularlypackaged' food-stuffs; and

contemplates a new and improved apparatus for that purpose.

The underlying idea of my invention "is to dispose, thB'IO'Od packages, usually of prismatic formrunder pressure between surfaces of units designedfior rapid cooling by a completely enveloping flow of refrigeratedfair in a clfosed'in: sulated chamber, and tOf dOZSO by continuous operation" during movement of" such units,,'with their packages, from pointv of entry tov point of:

exit; I

Itwillbest servethepurposes of this description' to refer, firstlyj to said'units, (herein referred to as freezing units) and theird'etails then their assembly into aconveyor, and'ithen the organization oi. such assembly inthe freezing chamber and'with' the'means for refrigerating andfcirculating the air therein. a v

In the accompanyingdrawings; Q -Figure is; a; sidei elevational of one of my freezingunits; i :Elgurei zfiswa; pl'a'n' view-thereof, the viewibei'ng Broken 'toindi'cate' any desired len th; Figure? 3 is a "front elevati'onali view thereof, with parts shown in section the view being brokenasin Figure 2;; n

,F eur giis a. side elevationviewr, on as'malleri scalmjpf the assembly into. a, conveyor, the view Win82 broken t'o'indica'te anyjdesired'length; and' showing associated feeding and discharging meansiandhn v. v y Figuredis a side elevational view schematicallyj showingfthe, installation of such conveyor. in thefree'zing chamber,; the view being broken to ndfcatetany desiredtlength.

,As seen in Figures 1; 2 and'3; my'freezin'gunit comprisesupper and lower freezing heads, and I1" respective1y,;, presenting opposed contact surfaces; andjeachj having an extended radiating" 7 Claims: (01. 2-402) surface, heresp ecifically shown'in the form' of a;'plurality of'"cooling fins f2? extending upwardly and downwardly," respectively. Tie bolts" l 3 in-' terconnectpthe two freezingheads, and. each head istprovi'detl" with'rollers 14' for engagement'with ti 'vksas i prese y a pear.

" li l nperfanldllower freezing headsfjlband 11 (substantially identicaL; each comprising a hollowedaout metalmemb'er 20; whichmembers are adapted tobe. maintained" inspaced hori'-.

ionta'l and parallelirelation, for carrying, a package offfo'odbetween the opposed inner surfaces faces of the foodpackage one or" more asftl're case may-bed Each member 20 is preferably formed as a hollow metal; extrusion or casting having the extended fins [2 formed as an in tegral part thereof,- though other ways of in creasingthe radiating surface in'ay beemployed; Block's- 23, 23-; preferably of cas-tmetaL- are in serted in-theopen ends of each member 20, as?

bestseen from Figures-2 and 3, theseblocks being fastened in place, as by welded'j'oints 24, sealing the hollowed-out portion of the members 20, 20; These hollowed-outportions may be-filled with an eutectic; servingas-arc'old storage medium to accelerate the cooling. 7 The tie bolts I3; 1 3" arei'nserted throughr egistering openings 25; 25,- provided for this pur pose in 'blocks- 23,- 23*, whereby the two heads are positioned in registering relation one over' the other, providing the package carrying space therebetween. A compression spring 26' sur roundsthe upper end of" each bolt 13; outwardly of the upper head 10, and betweenw'ashers 2 1', the upper one 'of which is stopped by nut 28.- Thus the heads are urged toward eachother in a manner and-forpurposes-which w ill presently appear: a

-'Ihe-'wheels [4; 'M pr'eviously. mentionedara journal'e'd on stubshafts on extensions 29; 29;: on the blocks 23; 23; keeper nuts 3'0 SO Eeii-ig providedon theends of sucl'rshafts; Eaon of the-eXtensiOns ZB, won the-lower head l' l is pr o vlded-withan apertured outwardly extending 'lu'g; 31], those lugs being: for the=reception of connecting linkages; such aschains 32 3-2 (Figure 4"), when the units are assembledinthe conveyor-setup,- which will-now be'd'escri'bed. Referring now to-Figure-A'; it wilhbe seen that 1' form an endless conveyor comprising a phirality arm freezing -units--connected by'the link ages 3-2;"the samebeing-x supportedby endless chajnnertmcks 34', one on"ea ch side, receiving-"the rollers I4, l4" of the lower heads I I; Hyand'ibei'ng driyeni'n the direction of the arrows 35;:35 by the sprocket" wheels 36;} 36',tthe" teeth of which can convenientlyfbe made. to engage the extension s 2'9,"29 on the blocks23, '23;

A camm ingj track 38" is disposed aroundthe loading; anddischargin'g" end" of each" track: 34, to be engaged by'thei rollers" l4; M of the -upperheads Ill; ill of the" freezing" units, thus to"se'p'- arate the headsof each unilaagainst' the'pre's sure of the springs; 26, as they 'approachtl're point'of'i'discharge; and t'o'keep'th'e heads so sep' arated until'the unit'reaches the point oflbad mg; H H v Packages of food to be frozen are shown at 39, 39, and loading mechanism is indicated at 4|.

packages contained thereby are held between the heads, under the pressure of the springs 26, 26, y

and so they remain until the unit reaches the camming track 38 on the lower run, where the heads are separated, as previously described, so 7 that the frozen food package maypass to a crossbelt or other conveyor, indicated at 43, and be carried away. The length of the freezing conveyor and its rate of travel are so selected that the length of time of movement from point of entry to point of exit of each package is sufficient to effect the freezing thereof.

In schematic Figure 5, I illustrate the mounting of the conveyor I have described in an insulated chamber 44, with the heat exchanger 45 and blower 46, of refrigerating plant 41, located within it. Thus continuously refrigerated air is circulated in the chamber, completely enveloping the freezing units and the foodpackages con-.- tained thereby, all to the end of effecting freezing of the food-stuffs by continuous and economical operationof simple apparatus, inexpensivein first cost and in maintenance. i N

' From the above, it will follow and be obvious to those skilled in the art, that mechanical changes can be made in my freezing units without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; also, similarly, that there may be alterations in the conveyor set-up, which may be in vertical position if desired, or may indeed be inthe form of a large slowly moving wheel with the-lower headsof the freezing "units rigidly mounted on its periphery. Accordingly, I desire that the scope of my inventionbe measured by the following claims, broad or narrow as the case may be.

I claim: i i

, l. A'freezing apparatus comprising an insulated chamber, means for circulating refrigerated air therein, and, in said chamber, a plurality of individual articulately and endlessly intercon nected freezing units and means for moving the same from point of entry to point of exit of articles to be frozen, said freezing units each comprising a pair of registeringly interconnected cooperating freezing heads presenting opposed separated surfaces between which individual articles to be frozen may be held and having fins conductively connected therewith, and springs urging said heads toward each other for applying pressure to said articles therebetween, and means for separating said pairs of heads to discharge said articles carried thereby as each unit approaches said point of exit and for permitting their.rela.

tive movement toward each other for receiving an article to be frozen as they move past said separating means and leave said point of entry.

2. A freezing apparatus in the formof afconveyor, comprising a plurality of articulatelyv and endlessly connected freezing units, each unit com"- prising a pair of interjoined cooperating heads presenting separated opposed plane surfaces be tween which articles to be frozen'may be held and having extended ra'diating surfaces conductively connected therewith, springs urging said heads toward each other, rollers on'each head, a channel track for supporting the rollers of one of said heads, and a camming track adjacent' one 4 portion of said channel track for engaging the rollers of the other of said heads, said cammin track adjacent one portion of said channel track extending from the point of exit to the point of entry of the articles to be frozen and being positioned to move said heads apart at said point of exit and to permit their movement together at said point of entry.

. 3. A freezing apparatus in the form of a continuous conveyor, comprising a plurality of freezing units connected in series by articulated linkages, each said units comprising a pair of 00- operating heads connected to register with each other and presenting opposed plane surfaces between which articles to be frozen may be held and having a plurality of radiating fins extending therefrom, springs urging said heads toward eachother, and rollers on each head, an endless channel track for the rollers of one of said heads, loading mechanism and,discharge mechanism at points relative to said ,track, and acamming track for engaging the rollers of the other. of said heads positioned to separate said heads at said discharge mechanism and to permit them to movev together at said loading mechanism. I r 4. A freezing unit'for freezing packagediood by means of circulated refrigerated air, compris ing, in combination, a pair of cooperating upper and lower freezing headshaving opposed, adjacent planar faces, a plurality of. aircooling; projecting outwardly from each ofs'aid, heads forming one surface thereof, means for maintain ing said heads in registering spaced-apart parallel relation to provide a package receiving and carrying space between. said planar faces thereof, spring means for permitting resilient movement of said upper head toward 'and'away from..said lower 'head, whereby said heads maybe loaded with a food package therebet'ween, and roller means mounted on each of said heads for rollingly supporting said unit on a track.

5 A freezing unitrfor freezing packaged food by means of circulated refrigerated air, comprising, in combination, apair of cooperating upper and lower freezing heads, each of said fheads being hollow .for the [storage therein of a'e'u tectic, a plurality ofair-cooling fins formed integrally with each of saidheadsandproject ing outwardly therefrom, interconnectingfmeans for maintaining said heads in a spacdapart registering parallel relation, one above the ot er, to provide a package receivingand carrying space therebetween, spring means associated with said interconnecting means for permitting resilient movement ,of' said upper'head toward and away from said-lower head, roller, means associated with eachofs'aid heads at'the lateral extremities thereof, 'thefrollers associated with said lower hea'd' being adapted to 's'u'pportsaid unit ,on continuous conveyor tracks, and said two. heads being separated'forflo'ading and un-,

loading of a food package therebetwe'en by pe'' riodicjengagement of said rollers associated'with said upper head with, a camming jsurfaee sup? ported adjacent said conveyor tracks." 1

6. A system'for freezinglpackaged'.foods,infa i insulated room by means ,of refrigerated -,air, comprising a continuous "ao'nveyer" havingfa plurality of articulately and endlessly interconnected individual-v freezing uni ts,,ea'ch ofv said units comprising separated upper" and lower freezing heads interconnected for relative move ment to receive and hold an individual food package between opposed," planar' face' thereof, each bf said headshavin'g afplu'rality of' a ir-cool ing fins projectin therefrom to be enveloped by refrigerated air circulated thereacross, rollers mounted on each of said heads; the rollers on said lower heads supporting said unit on a pair of separated, side-by-side, endless conveyor tracks in said room, means for moving said conveyor along said tracks, a refrigerating unit for cooling the air in said room, fan means for circulating said refrigerated air over said freezing heads and the individual packages between them, and additional track means periodically engageable with said rollers on said upper heads for separating said heads at a station along said conveyor tracks for loading and unloading said packages.

7. In a continuous system for freezing packaged foods in an insulated room by means of circulated refrigerated air, a conveyor in said room comprising a plurality of interconnected freezing units, each of said units comprising a pair of separated freezing heads, each having a chamber containing a eutectic, said heads having a plurality of separated air cooling fins formed integrally therewith and projecting therefrom and having rollers associated therewith for supporting said units on conveyor tracks in said room, means for moving said units on said tracks, means for refrigerating the air in said room, fan means for circulating said refrigerated air in said room and against said freezing heads, and cam means adjacent said tracks for periodically contacting the rollers associated with one of said heads of each of said units to separate said heads for the discharge and loading of a food package therebetween, conveyor means for carrying frozen packages discharged from said units away from said room; and loading means associated with said freezing conveyor for supplying food packages to said freezing units.

LEO-NEL A. DE MORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,817,890 Birdseye Aug. 4, 1931 1,847,956 Giger Mar. 1, 1932 1,939,334 Burke Dec. 12, 1933 1,953,521 Vogt Apr. 3, 1934 2,027,255 Vogt Jan. 7, 1936 2,260,450 Guinane 4.- Oct. 28, 1941 

